Ways to Conserve at Home

Kitchen

• Dishwashers - Only run your dishwasher when there is a full load of dishes. New dishwashers wash more thoroughly than older ones, so cut back on rinsing before loading if your dishwasher is new!
• Running Water – don’t let your faucet run while washing hands or dishes. Thaw food in the refrigerator instead of using running water. Wash vegetables in a bowl of water instead of under the faucet.
• If you have excess water that needs to be poured out, don’t put it down the drain. Give it to thirsty house plants or pour it outside in the grass.
• Avoid using the garbage disposal - compost food scraps and scrape plates into the trash instead.
• Install sink faucets with aerators with flow restrictors. This can reduce water consumption as much as 50%. For more information, visit the EPA page on Faucets or read about Low-Flow Aerators and Showerheads.

Bathroom

• Drop tissues in the trash instead of flushing them (same goes for bugs, if you find any). 
• While waiting for hot water, collect running water and use it to water your plants, or fill up a pitcher of drinking water to chill in the fridge.
• Listen for a leaky toilet – it can waste gallons a day.
• Check faucets and pipes to make sure there are no leaks.

Laundry

• Only wash full loads.
• Save energy and money by washing with cold water.
• When it’s time to buy a new washer, look for water-saving models, like Energy Star.

In the Yard

• Use native and drought-tolerant plants to minimize watering needs in the garden
• Monitor sprinkler reach to avoid watering concrete
• Avoid watering during the middle of the day, when the most surface water is lost to evaporation
• Properly mulch around garden beds and trees to increase moisture retention

Resources

• Water Footprint Calculator
• City of Tallahassee's Think About Personal Pollution (TAPP)
• EPA’s Water Topics page
• EPA’s "Things You Can Do to Protect Water Quality"